THE GREATER ST MATTHEW MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
Jude 24-25 ‘Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,’
25) To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.’
The above passage of Scripture coming out of the short but profound epistle of Jude led to Sunday’s message entitled ‘He’s a Keeper.’ The epistle of Jude; so named after the half-brother of our Lord Jesus Christ starts out with the subject of salvation but quickly takes a turn in verse 3 dealing with the subject of apostasy (a falling away from the faith) as the major emphasis of his letter. Jude warns his readers as well as to us today to beware of those who would pervert the grace of God (see Jude 1:4).
In case you are unsure about Who Jude was talking about he says in verse 25, “To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” The “Him” in verse 24 is God Almighty, our heavenly Father, when searching the Scriptures, one will find that Jesus Christ would also be a right choice as Savior. As a matter-of-fact Jesus Christ is the channel by which salvation comes but it is our heavenly Father Who is the Facilitator of our salvation, you need only to read or recite John 3:16 to see why God the Father is the Facilitator of our salvation. Jude wrote to Christians whose ranks had been infiltrated by false teachers. Many were being misled by shadowy figures peddling a message that promoted “Moral laxity,” liken to a moral laxative that tends to purge anything that is holy, righteous, and pure in God through Jesus Christ. Also there was “Theological error,” kind of like theatrical erotica, theater and entertainment that has inundated many churches that arouse the senses but nullify a productive life in Christ Jesus.
“Destructive pride,” is another type of moral laxity that displays derogatory promiscuity or unfaithful activities that are blatant and in-your-face, arrogance on full display! Then there was “Divisiveness,” that divide and conquer spirit masqueraded by those buzz words of unity & unified under the cover of genuine love! The previous 4 areas are like what is taking place now, not just in the world, but in many churches that supposed to be representing the blood-stain banner of Jesus Christ! Jude helps us in verse 24, writing that Our God IS ABLE, Translation—He’s a keeper! He keeps us by His power through faith and salvation (1 Peter 1:5). He also keeps us from evil; 2 Thessalonians 3:3 says the Lord is faithful who will establish you! The Lord will keep you in perfect peace, so says Isaiah 26:3: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” The Lord will keep us for eternal glory, for in Jesus’ prayer found in John 17:12 He prays to His Father and thanks Him for not losing any of the Disciples that were given Him except the ‘son of perdition,’ namely, Judas Iscariot.
Jude 24 says, He will present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. It has been said that peace is joy’s security, and joy is love’s noisy neighbor! (See Psalm 100:1) Love cannot stay silent, it needs joy to accompany it; think about it, God keeps His people with joy! The Bible says, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Again in Jude 25 we read: ‘To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.’ Jude ascribes four (4) attributes to God in verse 25: “Glory” the term used for the visible display of God’s qualities, meaning His excellence. God’s “Majesty” pictures the royal dignity of the King of the universe. God’s “Dominion” describes the infinite control He exerts over the world, and His “Power” or Sovereignty which speaks of God’s right to do as He pleases with His creation. Our God is a “Keeper,” He’s able to present you faultless before His presence with exceeding joy!
Ponder This…“Thank You LORD for Your Keeping Power!”